The Strange Story of Rab Ráby Read online

  CHAPTER I.

  They sit, the worshipful government authorities of Pesth, at theink-bespattered green table in the council room of the Assembly House,the president himself in the chair; close beside him, the prefect, whomhis neighbour, the "overseer of granaries," was doing his best toconfuse by his talking. On his left is an empty chair, beside which sitsthe auditor, busy sketching hussars with a red pencil on the back of abill. Opposite is the official tax-collector whose neck is already quitestiff with looking up at the clock to see how far it is fromdinner-time. The rest of the party are consequential officials whodivide their time between discussing fine distinctions in Latinity, andcutting toothpicks for the approaching mid-day meal.

  The eighth seat, which remains empty, is destined for the magistrate.But empty it won't be for long.

  And indeed it is not empty because its owner is too lazy to fill it, butbecause he is on official affairs intent in the actual court room,whereof the door stands ajar, so that although he cannot hear all thatis going forward, he can have a voice in the discussion when the vote istaken.

  From the court itself rises a malodorous steam from the damp sheepskincloaks, the reek of dirty boots and the pungent fumes of garlic--acombined stench so thick that you could have cut it with a knife.Peasants there are too there in plenty, Magyars, Rascians, and Swabians:all of whom must get their "viginti solidos," otherwise their "twentystrokes with the lash."

  For to-day is the fourth session of the local court of criminal appeal.On this day, the serious cases are taken first, and after thedeath-sentences have been passed, come a succession of lesser peasantoffenders for judgment.

  Some have broken open granaries, others have been guilty of assaults,but there are three main groups. To one of these belong the settlersfrom Izbegh who have been convicted of gathering wood in the forests ofthe nobles. The second section embraces those culprits who were artfulenough during the vintage to cover the ripe grapes over with earth, (sothat the magnates should be cheated out of their tithes), and to evadethe heydukes who kept watch and ward over the vintagers. Thirdly, therewere the offenders who had formed a deputation to the chancery court,and dared to pray for a revision of the public accounts for the pasttwenty-five years, a request at once temerarious and stupid, fortwenty-five years is a long time--long enough indeed for accounts tobecome rotten and worm-eaten. But that they were in sufficiently goodorder, the revenue for this particular year, 1783, testified, seeing itamounted to sixty thousand gulden, of which six thousand were paid tothe ground landlord, and two thousand towards the internal expenses ofthe province, with a balance in hand of fifty-two thousand gulden--notan extravagant outlay, surely!

  But what remains for the peasant?

  Why just those twenty strokes with the lash. These solve the question of"plus" and "minus."

  The presiding judge, Mr. Peter Petray, only records his vote through thedoor, but he himself is doing his official part, for from the window ofthe adjoining room he superintends the sentences carried out in theimprovised court below. There are the prisoners in the dock on whom thevials of justice are being poured forth. They are by no means acontemptible study either for the psychologist or the ethnographer. TheRascians are the defaulters against the vintage rights, and loudly theyshriek and curse as the blows are administered, whilst the outragers ofthe forestry laws are mostly Swabians, who take advantage of the pausesbetween the lashes roundly to abuse the overseer. But there are manyother delinquents besides in that motley crowd, who simply clench theirteeth and await their chastisement.

  But the eye of the law must itself watch over the execution of judgment,so that nothing in the shape of an understanding between the heydukeand the culprit, tending to mollify the punishment, may be arrived at.Much depends on how the blows are laid on. Not only does the sentenceprovide that the due number of lashes may be fulfilled, but likewisethat the strokes should be heavy. It is for this that the judge, if hesees the heyduke falter in his work, urges him on to harder blows, bycalling out "Fortius!"

  But Judge Petray knows how to combine duty and pleasure. For FrauleinFruzsinka, the niece of the prefect, is also in the room, and theirwhispered confidences and languishing glances show that the judge andthe young lady have not met here to discuss simply official questions.

  Whilst the notary in the next room is reading the indictment in a loudenough tone for Petray to be able to follow him, this dignitary managesto interpolate various interesting "asides" to his companion amid thefire of cross questions, and only calls out his vote when asked for it.

  Only the prefect cannot just now leave his post as assessor, and it isimpossible for him to see all that goes on. In the pauses thereforebetween the blows, the flirtation between these two goes on merrily.

  It was just then that Fraulein Fruzsinka whispered something to herlover.

  "Willingly," he answers, "but while I do it the Fraulein must take myplace at the window, and count the strokes in my stead."

  "And remember the heyduke's name is 'Fortius,'" added the judge to hisrepresentative.

  Fraulein Fruzsinka leaned out of the window still laughing heartily, andbegan to count as if she were noting a scale of music. The culprit,seeing a girl's smiling face looking down on him, appealed to her formercy. And the young lady, who was by no means hard-hearted, called outto the heyduke: "Don't beat the poor fellow so pitilessly, Fortius." Butthat official only flogged all the harder.

  At the twelfth stroke, Petray came back and slipped something into thehand of the girl as she leaned out of the window.

  This something she pressed to her lips as she withdrew again behind thecurtain, hiding it in the great locket she wore on her breast. The judgecounted on.

  Now it was the turn of a gipsy band, six of whose number had stolen agoose, and were to receive half a dozen lashes apiece in consequence.Later on they will provide the music at dinner, at the command of theirprosecutors: "Now we fiddle to you, then you will play to us!"

  Fraulein Fruzsinka, with a parting hand-clasp, hastens away to see tothe setting of the table, for the silver and glass and table-linen areher special care. The judge raised her hand to his lips as she left.